19 January 2011

Black and White Wednesday - What is a hero?

a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities.

2.

a person who, in the opinion of others, has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act and is regarded as a model or ideal.

While I completely understand these definitions, I have to wonder if it's over thought. It seems as though a hero would have a lot of pressure to be pretty outstanding all the time AND keep their cape wrinkle free. That's a lot for one person. For me I see my heros differently.

My hero doesn't have a cape.
My hero hasn't saved anyone from a burning building.
My hero wont get the Noble Peace Prize.
My hero will never cure a rare disease.
My hero isn't a superhero or even a superstar.

My hero is my grandma. Why is she my hero?

Graduation day 1947

Because she's....

Beautiful. Her beauty has always amazed me. Honest. She has always told it like it is no matter the situation or the person.Brave. She has lost two of her children and while I know it hurts her, she has remained strong and put on a brave face even when the pain is hard.Funny. There are never enough moments in the day to hear her spread her laugh. I love listening to stories from her childhood through the present day.Loving. Her love is contagious and is such an inspiration to me in my walk through life.

She may not know all these things about herself but I and others see them in her everyday. I have had the honor of being in her life for 38 years and in those years I have learned so much, not only about her but about me! I look in the mirror and I see her. I look at my mom and I see her. I look at my children and I see her. I see her everywhere in my life because she has given me the tools to be the person I am today.

Her life to me has always been based around family. Her joy is her family first and foremost. And that is my joy. Neither she nor I may be career minded women, we are family women. We are wives and mothers first. She has taught me to be a better wife to my husband and strong mother to my children. She has taught me to make the most of every single moment in my life and the lives of those who matter most.

My grandma is my hero. Plain and simple.

And my hero has cancer.

As I sit here and write this I can not help but let the tears fall. I can't help it because I can't stop them no matter how hard I try. As much as I try to put on my sunshine smile and fill my face with happiness a tear or two slips down. It's been a tough week. A real tough week. This cancer is different than the bladder cancer she's been fighting for almost 2 years and can be treated with radiation but it's still all of the unknown that's difficult. It's still the mere thought of cancer that saddens me.

Please do me a favor and my grandma Helen the honor of putting her in your prayers. Pray for her to have pain free days, days filled with laughter and memories of her rich past. Pray for her children, Sandi, Lance, John, Bill and Tommy that they can find peace with what lies ahead. Pray for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren (all 31 of us!) that we can be a source of joy in her pain. Pray for her doctors and caregivers to provide her with comfort and kindness.

So sorry to hear about your grandmother. Your post about her is so beautiful. It's easy to understand why she's your hero. I lost my paternal grandmother to cancer in 1997 and I still miss her and wish that she could have met my girls. Her memory is very much alive in our house though.